Willows, CA
Willows wildfire risk explained
Willows sits at the 56th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,794 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Willows at the 55th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Willows's building exposure, zone by zone
Most of Willows's buildings (76.4% of 2,794) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Willows against the rest of the country
Willows ranks lower within California (15th percentile statewide) than its 56th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Willows ranks 13,763 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,772 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 1,337 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Because Willows is in California, a wildfire-hazard disclosure is legally required before a sale closes here — unusual nationally, since only these two states mandate it. The state's FAIR Plan alone carried 668,609 policies by the end of 2025. Full detail in the disclosure-law guide.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 76.4% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Willows gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Willows's figures come from
Willows's 56th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Willows's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.